Bicycle



(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet; 1.

T. B. JEFFERY.

BICYCLE.

No. 352,190. Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

joint.

UNIT STATES P PATENT OFFIc t THOMAS E. JEFFERY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BICYCL'E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,19 0, dated November 9, 1886.

' Application filed April 1-1, 1886. Serial No. 199,219. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, THOMAS B. J EFFERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein-- Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectIon through an m, Fig. 1, showing the con struction of the crank-wrist bearing. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the parts forming a joint in thebackbone, said parts shown separated. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of the same Fig.5 is a section through y y, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a front. elevation'of the hub, crank, foot-lever, link, and onebranch of the fork,

the ball-joints of the link being shown in 1ongitudinal section; Fig. 7 is an enlarged axial section of one of the ball-joints of the link. Fig. 8 is a perspective of a dustcover employed at the backbone-joint. Fig. 9 is a section through c c, Fig. 4.

The purpose of this invention is to enhance the safety and ease of action of bicycles of the style commonly k nown as the safety-bicycle, being such as have the pedal not on the crankwrist, but on a lever which acts upon the crank-wrist, the pedal being always in the rear of the axle, whereby it is Inadepossible to locate the seat farther to the rear of the vertical plane of the axle, and so diminish the danger of throwing the rider forward over the wheel upon encountering an obstacle.

It comprises devices for varying the reach or length of stroke of the pedal, and for vary ing the position of the pedal with relation to the seat and axle; devices for easing the action of the pedal and its connection with the crank, and for preventing the joints in its connections binding and cramping by reason of accidental bending of any of the parts; devices for diminishing the jar to the 'seat and rider caused by the rear wheelthe same being liable to be more serious in this class of vehicles on account of the position of the seat being farther to the rear, sothat the rear wheel sustains more of the weight than in those having the seat farther forward-and certain other details of construction,which are fully described, and set forth in the claims.

able toward and from-the axle.

In the drawings, A is the front or driving -crank-wrist and connected in front to the otherwise free end of the link F, and having at the rear end the pedal H.

L is a. dust-cover, which protects the joint between thetwo parts D and D of the backbone. L is a fastening clip for said dustcover. I I I The crank-wrist E is fastened to the crank E in the slot e, and is thereby made adjustprovide the crank-wrist with an adjustable ball-bearing, and such abearing is illustrated in Fig. 2. I

One of the features of my invention consists in making the bearing of the crank-wrist adjustable to any position desired on the footlever, and for this purpose 1 form the clamp G to slide and be clamped on the foot-lever G, and provide it with the flange G projecting I prefer to in the vertical plane of the foot-lever, and

through said flange I make the screw-threaded aperture 9 and I make the case G of the ball bearinglfor the crank-wrist with a threaded boss or annular rib, .9 about midway the length of said case, and of greater diameter than any cap or nut or other projecting part between it and one end of the bearing or box, and bounded by a shoulder, g, on the side toward the other end, so that, the box being inserted through the aperture 9 the boss 9 maybe screwedinto the same, and its shoulder 9 brought up firmly against the side of the flange G I also find it desirable to adjust the position of the pivot of the link F or the fork C, and for that purpose I provide the clamp f, which slides on the fork and may be clamped at any desired point thereon, and upon said clamp I fix the pivot of the link.

The three adjustments describedviz., the

crank-wrist on the crank,the crank-wrist bear- -zontal position of the pedal.

ing on the foot-lever, and the link-pivot on the forkpermitthe variation of the pedal movement in several respects. First, the length of the horizontal movement of the pedal is determined almost entirely by the distance of crank-wrist from the axle; second, the reach or length of vertical stroke of the pedal is determined by the relative distances of the crank-wrist from the axle and from thepedal. The mean position of the pedal with reference to the vertical plane of the seat will be determined chiefly by the position of the crank-wrist bearing on the foot-lever, and the mean heightof the pedal-or mean distance belowthe seatwill be determined ehieiiybyihe position of the link-pivot on the fork. Each of these several adjustments affects the others somewhat; but by means of them all all desirable variations may be made in the length of stroke and in the mean vertical and mean hori- Since the link F does not swing in the plane of the rotation of the crank-wristthat is, since its upper pivot is not in the plane of motion of its lower pivotit is desirable to provide it with ball-joints, and since these joints are liable to wear it is desirable to provide means for closing up the bearings about the ball-pivot of such joints. It has been usual to form the balls for such joints at the extremity of a rigid stud jutting sideward from the link, and to form the sockets in the foot-lever at one end and in the fork or part attached thereto at the other end; but since the wear is in the direction of the length of the linkand any adjustment for lost inotion should be in the direction, that is to say, along the line of the loss of motion by wcarand since the various adjustments of the link on the fork and the crank-wrist bearing on the foot-lever change the direction of the link F with reference to the parts to which it is connected, it is obvious that the parts of the joint which are made movable to take up lost motion should be on the link, since, with reference to the link, the direction of wear does not materially vary, rather than on the connected parts, with reference to which the direction of wear does vary with varying adjustments. I therefore form the sockets of thejoints in the link, and provide the connected partsthe foot-lever and the clamp f-with sideward-jutting studs G" and f, respectively, which terminate in the balls G and f fitting the socket-bearings F F in the link, and provide the bolts E F screwed into the ends of the link and inwardly terminating in concave bearing-surfacesf f fitting the balls. These bolts may be adjusted to take up lost motion in the joints, and are preferably provided with the jam-nuts f f, to prevent them from working loose.

By reason of the location of the seat K farther to the rear than in vehicles of the class which have the pedal on the crank-wrist the rising and falling of the rear wheel when passing over obstructions tends to jolt the seat and rider more than in those of that class. To

counteract this difficulty, I make the backbone jointed at (I, just above the rear wheel, the joint being between the backbone properthe part Dand the fork D". This joint is flexible in the vertical plane of the rear wheel, or the vertical plane of the backbone-which is the sameand is provided with a spring, D tending to resist forward flexure. In detail, I prefer the structure shown, viz: The backbone D terminates ina cross bar orhead, D and the fork D terminates above in a cylindrical box, D'-', having a cylindrical transverse sockct, d having the closed ends at and open at the upper side at d" to admit the cross-head D The ends of the cross-head D have the conical cavities (1 and through the ends d of the cylindrical box D are screwed the taper-pointed pivots d" d whose tapered points enter the conical cavities d and thus form the bearings of the joint d. From the backbone D, just above or forward of the joint (I, protrudes the arm or finger D,which hangs over or behind the upper end of the fork D and between its overhanging end and the said fork there is interposed the spring D acting, as described, to prevent or resist flex- -ure of the joint forward. The rising and falling of the rear wheel will tend to cause fiexure of thejoint, and thereby the seat will be relieved of the jolting to a large extent.

In order to protect the joint d from dust, I provide the sc1ni-cylindrical cover L, adapted to fit over the cylindrical box D and having the slot L extending from one end to the middle of the length at the middle of the semi-circumference, said slot beingjust large enough to admit the neck D of the cross-head D The edges of the slot L are folded up to form hooks Z, and after the cap Lis passed over the box D receiving the neck D in its slot L, the cap or clasp L, having its edges l l hooked to correspond with the hooked edges Z of the cover L, and hollowed at the end Z to fit the neck I), is slipped on over the joint d, its hooks Z Z being engaged with the books I Z, and thereby retained in place.

To protect the crank-wrist bearing from dust, I provide the caps G and G, which are screwed onto the ends of the case G and have openings g and g for the wrist or spindle E to pass through. The wrist has a shoulder or flange, e near the crank, which is stopped outside the cap G", and the taper bearingE at the other end has the flange a stopped inside the cap G while the set-nut E on the end of the wrist E has the flange e, which covers the opening in the cap G on the outside, and thereby dust is excluded from the bearing, except so much as may enter between the surfaces of the flanges and capswhich are in working contact, and substantially dusttight.

I claim 1. In combination, the axle-erank, the footlever, the swinging link, andthe fork, the footlever being pivoted on the crank-wrist, the link connected to the foot-lever in front of the IIS adjustable on the fork, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, the axle-crank, foot-lever, link, and fork, the link being pivotedto' the fork and to,the forward end of the footlever, said foot-lever being pivoted on the crank-wrist, the bearing of said wrist being adjustable at will intermediate the ends of the foot-lever, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, the axle-crank, foot-lever, link, and fork, the link being pivoted to the fork and to the forward end of the footlcver, the foot-lever being pivoted on the crankwrist concave upward in front of and downward in the rear of said pivot, and the length of the crank being adjustable at will, substantially as set forth.

4.. In combination, the axle-crank, the footlever, the swinging link, and the fork, the foot.- lever being pivoted on the crank-wrist, the bearing of the wrist being adjustable on the lever, and the link being connected to the forward end of the lever and to a pivot adj ustable on the fork, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination, the axle-crank, the footlever pivoted on the crank-wrist, the bearing of the wrist being adjustable on the lever and the wrist being adjustable on .the crank, and

the link connected to the forward end of the foot-lever and to a pivot on the fork, substantiallyas set forth.

6." In combination, the axle-crank having the crank-wrist adjustable toward and from the axle, the foot-lever pivoted on the crankwrist, and the link connecting the forward end of the foot-lever to a pivot adjustable on the fork, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination, the axle-crank having the crank-wrist adjustable toward and from the'axle, the foot-lever pivoted on the crankwrist, the bearing of thewrist being adjustable on the lever, and the link connecting'the forward end of the lever to a pivot adjustable on the fork, substantially as set forth.

8. In combination with the crank, the footlever pivoted on the crank-wrist, and having at the forward end a lateral stud or wrist terminating in a ball, the fork having secured to it a similar stud, and the link having the spherical sockets or bearings for the balls, substantially as set forth.

9. .In combination with the axle-crank, the foot-lever pivoted on the wrist, the link connected to the forward 'endlof the lever and to a pivot on the fork, said connection being by ball-and-socket joints, ofwhich the socket is in the link, and the bearing in said socket adjustable. to take up lost motion, in the direction of the length of the link, substantially a set forth. I

10. In combination with the axle crank and the link swinging from a pivot on the fork,

' the foot-lever pivoted at the forward end to the link and intermediate its ends to the crank-wrist, and having the pedal on the rear end, said foot-lever being curved concave upward between the pedal and the crank-wrist and convex upward between the crank-wrist and the link, substantially as set forth.

11. In combination with the axlecrank and the link swinging froma pivot on the fork, the foot-lever pivoted to the freeend of the link and to the crank-wrist, and bent concave upward in front of and downward in rear of said pivot and formed oval in cross-section, the shorter diameter being horizontal, substantially as set forth. I

12. In combination with the axle-crank and foot-lever, the clamp G, secured to the footlever, having the transverse threaded aperture 9 and the journal-box for the crankwrist 'exteriorly screw-threaded, and provided with a clamp-shoulder and screwed into said aperture in the clamp G, substantially as set forth.

13. In combination with the case G having the threaded end, the wrist E having the flange e and the cap G, screwed to the end of the case, and apertured to admit the wrist and abutting against the flange a, substantially as set forth.

14. In combination with the case G, haying threaded end, the adjustable taper bearing E,'-having the flange e, the cap G, screwed onto the end of the case, apertured for the wrist and abutting against the flange 6, substantially as set forth.

15. In combination with the backbone terminating at the rear in a cross-bar, forming lateral gudgeons, the rear fork terminating above in a transverse cylindrical socket fitting the crossbar of the backbone, suitable center-pins to retain the cross-barin the socket, and yielding stop to limit the flexure of the joint so constituted, substantially as set forth.

16. In combination with the backbone ter minating in the cylindrical cross-bar centrally countersunk at the ends, and having above the cross-bar the overhanging stop D,

.therear fork terminating in the cylindrical cup to receive the cylindrical cross-bar, and provided with the taper-pointed pivots d 01 screwed through its ends into the taper sunk ends of the cross-bar, and the spring D interposed between the fork and the overhanging stop D, substantially as set forth.

17. In combination with the backbone-joint formed by the cross-head D in the socket (W, the dust-covercomprisin g the semi-cylinder L, having the longitudinal slot L, with its edges folded over outward to form the hooks Z l,and the clasp L, having the edges folded to engage the hooks, substantially as set forth.

THOS. B. J EFFERY.

Attest:

CHAS. S. BURTON, CHAS. S, NEEROS. 

